Sarah Marshall, Multimedia Reporter

Police have this afternoon confirmed that a lamb was also slaughtered with a knife, in an incident at a Doncaster farm yesterday morning during which six lambs were shot dead.

Officers were called to Cherry Tree Lodge Farm in Crow Tree Bank, Hatfield, yesterday morning when six lambs were discovered dead.

Police have now confirmed that one lamb was also stabbed to death during the shocking incident.

Another six lambs have been left with gunshot wounds and will need to be put down.

A further two ewes have been injured and it is believed that they were shot sometime overnight.

Cherry Tree Lodge farm is just over a mile away from Stoupers Gate Farm, Hatfield where a number of lambs were shot and killed last week.

Inspector Mark Payling from the Local Policing Team said: “This is a sickening and thoughtless act of violence against animals, which has caused outrage amongst the farming community across the region and beyond.

“Both incidents have caused distress and outrage not only in our local communities, but across South Yorkshire.

“It is simply intolerable and I want to reassure the local community that we are determined to find those responsible.

“I understand that people will be concerned and we are exploring a number of lines of enquiry to confirm that these incidents are linked.

“We must keep an open mind in this early stage of the investigation and this is where any information that you hold, however small, could prove significant to finding out who did this.

“Please, if you saw anything suspicious in the area or have heard anyone discussing this matter locally, get in touch.”

Call 101 or email enquiries@southyorks.pnn.police.uk quoting incident number 209 of March 30 2016.